


Soulmate Marks: Beach

by Crack_Pair_King



Series: Soulmate Marks: a Joker and a Panther [4]
Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, F/M, ShuAnn Week 2019, Soulmate-Identifying Marks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-04
Updated: 2019-07-04
Packaged: 2020-06-02 17:00:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,609
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19445755
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crack_Pair_King/pseuds/Crack_Pair_King
Summary: The beach trip leaves more than one Phantom Thief with some a-splaining to do.





	Soulmate Marks: Beach

**Author's Note:**

> This is it. The Big One. The One we've all been waiting for.
> 
> The one where these two dorks finally Get It.

"Dude, what the hell?" Ryuji's words caught Ren's attention. Looking over, he saw the blonde was staring at Ren. Staring at his... oh. That. Ren glanced into his bag for his markscreen.

The pieces of water-repellant skin toned material that had become such a popular beach item since the mid-90s and the rise of soulmarks. Not everyone wanted to go around proclaiming their soulmated status, or their mate's identity. Other marks, like Ren's, could be incriminating or in other ways embarrassing.

Worst were unrequited mates. The ones who's bonding was rejected by their partner. Unrequited mates often hid the marks. If they were lucky it would ephemeralize and fade back into amorphous potential. Some never did. Ren knew that would be him, but he intended to delay it a little longer. Let the impossible dream go on even one extra day.

To his dawning horror, Ren realized he didn't have his markscreen. Neko Shogun's growl of frustration at Ren's sloppy preparation filled the back of Ren's mind.

This, Ren realized almost at once, was going to be complicated. Sighing, he turned to face Ryuji and Yusuke. Thankfully Morgana had remained outside. That was one issue he could delay for a while longer.

His fingers folded into the frame that was so often his habit, Yusuke spoke before Ren could.

"I take it you forgot to bring a markscreen today? You obviously had one at the bath house."

"I thought I had it in the bag."

"It is a magnificent representation of Ann's spirit, no doubt. When, might I ask, did this happen?" Yusuke's cool analysis prevented Ryuji from pushing at the issue more directly. Ren was glad.

Ren also saw no point in lying about it. His friends' understanding could be what salvaged this impending mess. He looked at Ryuji as he answered.

"Started materializing the day we first went to the Castle."

"FO'REAL! Man, that long?"

Yusuke, on the other hand, stood frozen in his framing motions.

"Forgive me, but the Castle was your coach. Correct?"

"Yeah." Ren said, not sure where Yusuke was going with this. One of the artistic boys arms crossed to the far elbow in a gesture of self-comfort with which they had all become rapidly familiar.

"So by the time you came to my aid..." Yusuke left the question unasked, but both Ren and Ryuji understood.

Ren turned slowly. He felt Neko Shogun stop growling. Instead he felt the press of claws against his soulmark as Neko Shogun readied for violence. Ren contained the impulse as he met Yusuke's eyes with a lethally sharp calm.

"You're lucky she was in a forgiving mood."

"Fuck!" Ann cursed as she began pulling items out of her beach bag. "I know it's in here somewhere!"

"Is something wrong?" Makoto's collected voice came around the corner. She'd grabbed a locker over there, leaving Ann to get changed in peace. Ann appreciated it at the time. When she'd expected to slap on her markscreen as part of getting ready and hadn't wanted to explain the highly incriminating soulmark on her chest.

Except Ann was now looking at the bottom of her smaller than usua- oh fuck her of course that's where it was! Carmen blasted fire against Ann's soulmark.

"That depends on your definition of wrong, I guess?" Ann said with a nervous chuckle. A tense pause, and then heavy footsteps. Ann started shoving things back into her bag, making doubly sure she had what she did remember to bring, and cursing herself for changing bags last minute.

"I forgot my markscreen." Ann said in a tone that edged towards despair. She couldn't help it, try as she might. She'd already been rejected by a soulmate once. She didn't think she could deal with it again.

But what other outcome was she expecting? Ren was so much smarter than she was. Smart and cunning and charismatic as all hell. Had been even before he started talking with Old Man Tora, as he called the politician in their LeBlanc study sessions. Now he was devestating with words, still smarter than Ann, and only getting further ahead in both.

"Ann? Wha-" Makoto stopped talking as Ann turned to shove her bag into a locker. Ann kept her face into the locker. She couldn't look at Makoto any more than she could pull the breaks on her train of thought.

Ann was sure Ren would hold a seat in the Diet one day. Maybe even Prime Minister if he wanted it bad enough. And she sure as hell wasn't qualified to walk that road with him. Too foreign, just to start. Rejection was all her soulmark meant it seemed.

She hated that her fuck-up was gonna ruin Futaba's beach trip.

She felt Makoto's hand on her shoulder.

Smaller, distinctly female, yet still not acceptable. Carmen screamed at the touch. Ann jerked her shoulder away from Makoto's grip.

"Not the shoulder, please." Ann said as she turned to face Makoto. Seeing her confusion, Ann forced out the rest of the explanation. "It was Kamoshida's favorite hold."

Makoto's face twisted in a way Ann had never seen before the awakening of Johanna. As though Makoto was restraining the urge to go to Kamoshida's cell and feed the man his own testicles. After frying them up for his viewing pleasure, of course.

Or maybe Ann was just projecting. It was one of her and Carmens favorite fantasies.

Either way, Makoto's face resettled into it's normal lines and she looked down at the mark that sealed Ann's fate. It only took her a moment, and then the other girl's eyes widened, her eyes snapping up to meet Ann's own. There was panic in Makoto's eyes, and Ann was surprised to see it mixed with a good dose of fury.

"Does he know?" Makoto asked, and that anger laced through her words. Ann shook her head.

"No one but me and Shiho knew before today." Ann winced, but steeled her spine. When this went south, she'd need her friends more than ever. "Shiho was my first, but she's straight."

Makoto closed her eyes and took a long breath. Another. Then she looked up at Ann and her eyes were hard. "You're going to hear rumors that Ren and I are dating. It's a cover."

That comment didn't just derail Ann's train of thought, it put a brick wall in the way and watched the carnage unfold. "Wha-huh? What're you talking about? It's fine if you and Ren wanna date."

"Ummmmm." The uncertain tone from Futaba brought Ann and Makoto around the wall of lockers. By the time they'd helped Futaba with navigating the intricacies of two piece swimsuits and puberty, Ann had honestly forgotten all about the mark on her chest.

That is, until Morgana froze on the spot when he saw her. His eyes were fixated on her chest. Her first instinct was to tell the little guy off. Then she realized what he was looking at. Before she could speak, his gaze ripped away and over to Ren. Morgana, Ann realized, was furious.

Not that she could blame him. She'd known she had Ren's soulmark days before she met Morgana. She could have let him down gently months ago, but hadn't had it in her to hurt a friend's feelings. Now she'd crushed them on complete accident.

Reluctantly following his example, she looked over to Ren.

And felt the breath pour out of her lungs.

It was centered on Ren's sternum. The curled up form of a scarlet feline bathed in flames. A panther, Ann knew without asking.

She knew that her own was a fanned out deck of cards. On top of that circular fan of a deck was their Joker. His mask and red gloves and that coat and oh god she wasn't unrequited again.

Ann almost felt her knees collapse. She covered it up by mugging around with Ryuji. Pulling him into a headlock and throwing mock punches at the ribs of a boy who might as well be her brother.

"He was pretty worried." Ryuji muttered from under Ann's arm. It was the quietest she could ever recall the boy being. But she appreciated knowing it wasn't just her. The boy - her boy - was too damn smooth about his mask sometimes.

"She was despondent." Makoto said matter-of-factly to Ren as he stared at Ann messing with Ryuji. He appreciated knowing she was worried just like he was. That girl - his girl - was so outwardly cheerful that it hid her depth as well as any mask.

"Human souls impact both the Metaverse and the Real World. Body and Persona, or a Shadow, are shields for the soul. Soulmarks are born of bonds forged in the metaverse. Deep enough bonds that they're an exception to the rules that divide the worlds. "

Morgana was biting off words as he spoke. But that he spoke at all surprised the team given his current mood.

Ann listened and realized that, amnesia or not, Morgana knew more about soulmarks than anyone she'd ever met. Knowing that, and sure he'd understand, Ann made up her mind.

Ann, to the surprise of everyone and no one, crouched down next to Morgana. She spoke quietly to the cat. So quietly that no one was sure what she said. Still when she stood, Morgana seemed a little more relaxed than before. She scratched him behind the ear, ignoring the glare he mixed in with his purr.

Then she looked over at Ren "Later?"

The blonde tilted her head towards Futaba, who was looking torn between awkwardness over being in public and excitement over the current situation. Ren nodded. It would also let them have the conversation without Morgana sitting right there. At least theoretically.

Once Ann, Makoto and Futaba left to ride a banana boat, Ren took a deep breath. Gathering himself, Ren faced Morgana. The cat-like entity radiated sorrow and fury but didn't say a word. Finally, Ren broke the stare down and spoke first.

"Sorry I didn't say anything. I didn't know how."

"You say 'Morgana, I've got something to tell you. It's going to hurt, but you need to know.'" Morgana wasn't quite hissing at Ren, but he was close. Ren knew that his friend had a reason to be angry. Ren had known about this longer than he'd known Morgana, and he hadn't said a thing. He had, Ren acknowledged, fucked up.

"Is there anything I can do?"

Morgana shot him a look. "It would _damage_ you both, severing that connection. I refuse to hurt Lady Ann that way... Or you."

Ren was relieved. Morgana could be many things. Petty was certainly among them.

"Thanks."

"That said, this time I get my damned fatty tuna!"

Ren laughed. "Absolutely."

Ren glanced back at the ladies dressing area once again. The setting sun signalled the end of this trip. Ren intended to get one more thing out of the day though. A conversation that was apparently long overdue.

"So you were worried?" Ann's voice, soft and warm and sweet as ever, soothed an ache Ren hadn't known he had. She sat next to him on the edge of the boardwalk, looking out to sea.

"About you in the dressing room? Yes, I was terrified. You could be strangled by your own swimsuit." Ren deadpanned. Ann giggled.

Then she surprised Ren, leaning her head on his shoulder.

"Not what I meant." A pause. Then Ann drew in a shuddering breath. "I was. Worried. About this. About us."

Ren blinked, startled. He turned his head and met Ann's eyes. He was surprised to find the ashes of old pain in her eyes, and unshed tears in their corners.

"Shiho, she, I-" Ann shook her head, her hair whipping them both gently. "Sorry."

Ren didn't think it through, just wrapped Ann up in a hug.

"Take your time."

Ann did. For long moments she cuddled into Ren's chest. Nuzzled at the spot where _her_ mark adorned _his_ chest. Felt more than heard Carmen purring in delight.

"I was soulmarked once. Shiho's super straight though. We almost didn't make it through that."

Then Kamoshida, Ren filled in silently. Neko Shogun began to plan. It wasn't a good thought though, and Ren cut it off. They were thieves for crying out loud, not assassins. Leave that to this Black Mask.

"Is that why Makoto said you were despondent."

"I don't think I know that one." Ann said in the slow way of someone with too many languages in her head that she was trying to sort through for a meaning. Ren rephrased, and Ann nodded firmly.

"I thought you'd want someone like Makoto or Futaba. Someone smart and strong like you. I mean did you see Futaba earlier, talking about her mom?"

Ren let Ann speak. Let her pour out anxieties and fears and very real pain all over the sands of this beach. He just listened.

"So, when was it for you?" Ann asked after realizing that she'd been talking for quite a bit, but not really listening. She wanted to hear his voice tell her its truths, not just drop hers on him.

"I felt the... tug, that first day under the awning."

Ann snuggled even closer. "Me too. I had to try so hard not to look back when Kamoshida had me in that fucking car."

Ren let Neko Shogun have his way at planning. Ren could all but see the board and all the various ways he could get to Suguru Kamoshida even now. The ways he could make the man bleed and scream. The terrible zugzwangs he could force the man into, over and over, until finally he had no choices but death and agony without end.

It wasn't a good thought, but none of them claimed to be good people.

"Come back." Ann mutterred softly. "He's not worth it. He was my monster. Not yours."

True, Ren conceded, as Neko Shogun swept the board of pieces. He decided to change the focus.

"But when I really knew?" Ren continued, nuzzling into Ann's head and breathing deep of her hair, "Gotta be during Madarame. You _hated_ that plan. Everything about it made you uncomfortable. Made me uncomfortable for you. I almost said we'd figure out something else. And then you decided to go ahead with the nude model plan. Because you couldn't stand to see someone suffer, even if they were pushing your boundaries. I don't think I'd ever seen compassion like that before you. Someone who just throws themselves into the fire because sometimes thats what it takes. Put me into a freefall and I still haven't hit the ground. Don't know I ever will."

Ann let his monologue wash over her. Overcome, she turned and pounced on him. Ren was startled by her hug. But it was the lips on his that shut down his mind and drew his hands to Ann's hip and upper back.

Not her shoulder, Neko Shogun reminded him. Never again.

"Kaneshiro for me." Ann said with her lips millimeters from his. Pulling back, she grinned at his confused face as he tried to puzzle that out. She decided to explain.

"Makoto stalked you for weeks. I know she was driving you nuts, cute as it looked. She blackmailed us, stuck her nose into our work, and almost got snatched. And you still helped her. Not just that. You convinced me to talk it out with her, to not let suspicion eat me up. After everything that's happened to you? Somehow you still care about people more than anyone I know."

Ren couldn't let that go without a kiss, now could he?

**Author's Note:**

> Zugzwang: a term in chess for when a player must make a move, but only bad moves exist.


End file.
